The school, which has struggled academically, is slated to close in June for more than $30 million in renovations.

But at least one woman says the students should have been placed elsewhere years ago.

Angelina Elder went to John McDonogh High school on Esplanade Avenue. So did her daughter. Her passion to preserve the past and protect the future is undeniable.

"If you stand back, you can see how beautiful the architecture is," said Elder. "Throughout the years it's just been constant patch work, patch work, and I'm like, ‘How can children learn in these kind of conditions?’"

Elder said in 2009 she started snapping pictures of what she believed to be mold inside the building and sent them to a number of agencies including the Department of Environmental Quality and the Recovery School District which oversees the facility.

"I had sent the state the pictures, because (Recovery School District Chief) Patrick Dobard is still in denial about the condition of the building," said Elder.

An RSD rep says state investigators who visited the site last fall made no mention of mold in their report. Even so authorities moved up plans to renovate the entire facility two years, closing the school this summer.

"We are making good on our promise to provide a state of the art facility for our students. At the same time we must make academic progress at a faster clip than we are today. Speeding up this renovation will help speed up the day when students can benefit from a world-class education at the facility," said Dobard.

"I do know that in schools, the Environmental Protection Agency has identified that mold and other air pollutants is a problem and that can cause absenteeism," said Dr. Faye Grimsley.

Grimsley, an environmental health scientist with Tulane University, has been conducting asthma studies on children in this area post-Katrina.

"We went into homes and collected mold samples, collected dust samples for allergens, dust mites, cockroach antigens and had the chance to do clinical evaluations on the children as well," said Grimsley.

She has never tested for any of these inside John McDonogh, but after looking at Elder's pictures she was concerned, because moisture problems in buildings can lead to health issues.

"They have seen some evidence that moisture damage, water damage, that people seem to be more susceptible to asthma in those types of settings. But not specifically for the mold. It (moisture) can exacerbate if a person does have asthma. They need to take necessary precautions against exposure," said Grimsley.

RSD says several hundred students will be removed this June, but Elder says another day in the school is too risky.

"The school is their second home. The children should be able to learn in a decent environment," said Elder.

The renovation of John McDonogh is part of the unprecedented $1.8 billion school construction plan for Orleans Parish schools post-Katrina. It's not known whether current charter operator 'Future is Now' will continue to run the school when it reopens in the 2016-17 school year.